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Farmers’ Perception on Water Related Issues: a Study of Bheramara Upazila, Kushtia

MD. HUMAYUN KABIR
Department of Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.

MD. FARUK HOSSAIN
Department of Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Bheramara Upazila of Kushtia District, located in the southwestern part of Bangladesh is one of the most affected areas due to severe water flow reduction in the lower part of the Ganges (the Padma) which is seriously hampering agricultural production. The local people/farmers are tremendously suffering due to water related problems for their domestic as well as agricultural activities. The present study based on the primary field investigation (including open ended questionnaire interview with a total of 100 farmers), key informant interviews and direct field observation attempts to identify farmers’ perception on water related issues and to understand the process, of how these problems are mitigated both in domestic and agricultural sectors.

Keywords: Water issues, Farmer’s perception, Mitigation measures

Location: Bheramara Upazila of Kushtia

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Soil fertility

Objectives:

To understand local people’s (areas those are located close to the Padma river) perception (especially the farmers’ perception) regarding water related issues and the process of how the farmers are mitigating these problems both in household level and in agriculture.

Methodology:

For the purposes mentioned above, a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) technique was conducted in randomly selected two villages of the study area that are affected with reduced water flow from the Ganges. The PRA approach was helpful in identifying issues on water faced by the local farmers, and in cross-checking their opinions raised in the informal meetings. First of all, in order to understand the water crisis situation of the study area, a rigorous field observation was made by the study team. Informal group discussions with the farmers in the villages were also conducted, while various issues related to water scarcity were widely raised by the farmers. In the group discussions with the farmers, the local representatives and other key informants (for example, imams of mosques) also participated. The group discussions with farmers of different category have provided necessary and important information. Alongside, in order to have individual farmer’s perception on water related problems, an open ended interview method was applied. A total of 100 randomly selected local farmers of several different categories (based on their level of income, education and age) of the study site were interviewed. Questions were mainly concerned with the present nature of the water-related problems, background and factors behind their emergence response taken by each category of people and changes in the nature and extent of the problems in course of social interaction. For the information, interviews were conducted among the farmers of different levels (elite/land owners, middle class farmers, small farmers, landless workers or tenant/share croppers and women as household heads). At the same time, local Union Parishad (UP) chairmen and members, elderly people/village matbors, imams, teachers of primary and high schools were interviewed with a view to cross-checking the water related issues as perceived by the farmers.

Source of Information: J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 38(1): 41-52, June 2012

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

It has been found that a remarkable number of farmers (56%) opined that the agreement did not bring any improvement of water related issues after 1996. The second highest proportion of respondents (27%) is not aware of the treaty and the least proportion of farmers (17%) reported that they receive enough water in rainy season . It can, however, be mentioned that the farmers severely suffer for water for various purposes whether the issues are well-perceived by most of them or not. The scarcity of water in the study area has also led significant number of farmers to migrate to different areas for works and to change their occupations. In contrast, there is hardly any assistance from the Government (local Government) and the NGOs towards the mitigation of the water related issues in the study area. In such a situation, the local farmers and villagers have to be provided with arsenic free tube-wells for safe drinking water and technologies to support agricultural practices. At the same time, the best solution will be to maintain normal water flow in the lower part of the Ganges. The regional cooperation of water sharing (e.g., existing water sharing treaty) therefore, has to be enhanced through bi-lateral negotiation, if the entire southwestern part of the country has to survive.

Knowledge Management: Journal